THE MADEIRA BUY OF THE YEAR

[Roy Hersh]

Unfortunately, I am not the most savvy computer geek, so trying to copy a .pdf is not my forte. Please forgive how this looks, but DO make sure to read this if you are a Madeira lover. You can call RWC as of Friday and place your order, as the owner provided the members of FTLOP a couple of days of advanced notice, which is very much appreciated. He was sympathetic that not everyone from this Forum was able to buy in on the 1950 Terrantez. So, this offer will appear in next week's RWC newsletter. Please do NOT post this on any other BB. Quantities will still be very limited, but your odds of not getting shut out are very good, IF you act quickly.

Good luck Madeira lovers!

By the way, the RWC shipment of the 1927 Bastardo is leaving in mid-October and will arrive in CA by Thanksgiving.
_______________________________________________________

THE RARE WINE CO.
21481 EIGHTH STREET EAST
SONOMA, CA 95476
email: sales@rarewineco.com

1-800-999-4342
1-707-996-4484
Fax: 1-707-996-4491
Fax: 1-800-893-1501


OCTOBER 3, 2006

The vanishing of Terrantez after Phylloxera has long been one of the
great heartbreaks for Madeira lovers. Today, pre-Phylloxera examples
are painfully rare, and although a few growers have replanted it in
recent decades, Terrantez of any age remains scarce.

Yet, another famous Madeira grape has proven even more elusive: Bastardo. Many longtime Madeira drinkers have never seen—much less
drunk—a bottle, and its history is shrouded in mystery. Owing to its miniscule yields and vulnerability to insects, little was ever planted, and even less was ever bottled on its own. While no one knows exactly when Bastardo arrived in Madeira, some viticultural scholars believe that it came from Greece with Malvasia as early as the 1400s. For further
evidence of ancient residence, others point to Shakespeare’s “score a pint of bastard in the Half-moon” in King Henry IV. Like Terrantez, Bastardo essentially vanished after Phylloxera.

We know of only four vintage Bastardos having been made before World War II: 1870, 1875, 1876 and 1927. And rarely does even a bottle of one of these appear on the market. So, it is with a great deal of excitement that we announce the new release of one of the legends: the famous 1927 Bastardo from Adegas do Torreão, bottled this year from an original
cask by one of the last remaining giants of the Madeira trade, Pereira D’Oliveira.

Always Rare -
In the decades leading up to Phylloxera, each year saw a Bastardo crop, but yields were usually too small to bottle it on its own. Shippers, instead, would use it to beef up their most prestigious blends, or—as Cossart-Gordon did with its 1844 harvest—to create a small solera. After Phylloxera, few growers replanted the grape, making it even rarer. During the entire first half of the 20th century, only one vintage
Bastardo was made—in 1927—and it has become every bit as famous, and mysterious, as its 19th-century predecessors. Until now, there have been two 1927 Bastardos bottled, under the Adegas do Torreão and
Leacock labels. It is very possible that both wines originated at Torreão. This little-known house, which closed a few years ago, was a partidista,
maintaining large stocks of Madeira they’d buy from growers and then supply the big houses.

D’Oliveira’s New Bottling of the Famous 1927 Bastardo At left, Pereira D’Oliveira’s cellars, dated 1619, and at right, Adegas do Torreão’s cellars from 1949. The bastardo grape in Viala et Vermorel’s 1903 amepelography MADEIRA

How they happened to be the owner of such an important wine as the 1927 Bastardo is unknown. The only other '27 Bastardo on the island rests in a couple of barrels belonging to Henriques & Henriques, whose Bastardo plantings in Câmara do Lobos are legendary. In fact, a
Henriques wine was the source of the famous 1870 Bastardos of Blandy’s and Avery’s.

Today only the 1927 remains in Henriques’ cellars—a wine it has never sold in bottle. Is this where the Torreão wine began its life, or did it come
from other vineyards on the island? We will probably never know.

Torreão & D’Oliveira
The man behind Adegas Torreão was Vasco Loja, who —during the difficult years of the 1960s and 1970s— built Torreão into one of the island’s most powerful wine companies. But after his death, his children chose not to continue his work. All of the company’s assets were put on the market, including the company cellars near the historic Hinton Torreão sugar works which inspired the company’s name. A number of barrels of wine, including small amounts of 1927 Bastardo and 1969 Sercial, were also put on the block. Several of the island’s shippers were interested, but it was the D’Oliveira family who, in 2002, succeeded in buying the cellars and its wine.

Today, they are hard at work restoring the 57-year-old building. As for
the Torreão wine, while most of it continues to slumber in barrel, the
D’Oliveiras have done a small bottling of the 1927 Bastardo and 1969 Sercial.

Tastes of History
This could be the first time the 1969 Sercial has been offered for sale; in fact, we had never tasted the wine before our most recent visit to the island in June. It is a gem: a fantastic, old-style Sercial, pungently scented, deeply concentrated, with powerful acidity. As for the 1927 Bastardo, it is of course, marvelous: somewhat drier than the Leacock '27 and with the pleasingly bitter finish that typifies classic Bastardo.
And because it spent a few extra decades in barrel, we think that the D’Oliveira bottling is even better than the earlier bottlings under the Adegas do Torreão label.

Any time we can offer two Madeiras of such rarity and quality, it’s a privilege. But the even greater honor is to afford American wine lovers their only opportunity to experience one of Madeira’s mythic wines: the great 1927 Bastardo.

The Fabled 1927 Bastardo MADEIRA
1927 D’Oliveira Bastardo*
(ex-Adegas do Torreão)
$275.00
Beautiful deep walnut color with a greenish-yellow
rim. Very perfumed, powerful and high-toned nose of
dried Adriatic green fig, vanilla, malt and dried apricot.
There is a persistent core of sweetness on the
nose. The palate opens with perfumed dried apricot
and toffee flavors of moderate sweetness. Very well-
balanced with excellent acidity across the rich mid-
palate; the acidity pulls the richness through to the
long, powerful dry almond-infused finish. A wonderfully
exotic combination of elegance and power.


1969 D’Oliveira Sercial*
(ex-Adegas do Torreão)
$89.95
A walnut color of medium darkness and a yellow rim
with green glints. The nose is impressively deep and
very aromatic, revealing notes of dried Mirabelle
plum, dried cherry and cherry blossom, and almond.
There’s a silky entry on the palate, with a great acid
structure in the fleshy mid-palate; dried Mirabelle
plum and green almond flavors with a slightly bitter
note of quinine really fan out on the very long, very
dry finish. Great balance and freshness thanks to the
impressive natural acidity.
A barrel of 1927 Bastardo.

Wines may be sold and delivered only to persons who are at least 21 years old. All wines are sold in California and title passes to the buyer in California. We make no representation
to the legal rights of anyone to ship or import wines into any state outside of California. We are not responsible for typographical errors. All items and prices subject to
availability. Request a copy of our terms of sale or read them at http://www.rarewineco.com. An * indicates pre-arrival. Issued 16 times yearly. © 2006 The Rare Wine Co.

[Andy Velebil]

Boy oh boy, you guys are going to be the death of me...I love it

Got a '27 8)

[Roy Hersh]

If Rare Wine Co. isn't the greatest wine retailer in America, I have no idea who is. I can't wait to get my hands on the Bastardo and of course the Sercial is a no-brainer at that price!

Andy, although it might be painful, you should grab at least a pair of Sercial too.

[Gary Banker]

Roy,

Thanks for the notice. I ordered two of each. The only other place I have seen the Bastardo offered is on Patrick Grubb's list. His price is BP190 not including shipping.

Rare Wine Co. has come through again.

Gary

[Frederick Blais]

:x :x Too bad they don't want to ship any to Canada, this is something not too often available...

[Andy Velebil]

OK, OK, you twisted my arm I picked up a pair of the Sercial...

[Reidar Andersen]

Rare Wine is the greatest. I have bought many, many wines there. Always shipped to my hotel when I am in the US. Illegal for me to have it shipped to Norway.

Was in Sonoma last Monday, but it would not have helped to pop in since it is not in stock there yet.

No problem, will be in Funchal in 10 days and I will drop in to Anibal and Luis !!

Also picked up my Justino's 1933 M in SF last Saturday. Went well to have them in my suitcase. Had to since all the new stupid rules at the airports.

[Eric Ifune]

Thanks Roy for the heads up. I managed to get a few. Nice since I missed out on the Terrantez.

[Roy Hersh]

I am glad to see that you are taking advantage of this offering. Once they are gone, it might be years before the next bottling and who knows what the prices will be like by then.

Andy, you will be very pleased when you get around to trying that beauty. I would try one of your Sercials at Christmas this year and see what you think. The Bastardo is a very special wine, extremely rare and should be enjoyed slowly with someone special or a group of friends that will appreciate it.

Gary, as you have noted, RWC and Patrick Grubb are the only two retailers who will have access to this nectar. Although Patrick always has a very deep Madeira offering at the ready, you can't beat the RWC pricing.

Frederick, sorry man. Maybe you can call my friend Josh in upstate NY to buy and hold your bottles for you. It is worth a try and not that far to drive for Bastardo this reputable.

Reidar, glad to see you loaded up while in SF. Did you get to meet Mr. Broadbent or at the very least, get to try the 10 year old Malmsey as you had planned?

Eric, I am glad you got your bottles and it was due to the Terrantez that some folks missed that was the impetus for Mannie Berk, owner of RWC to put provide us some lead time prior to the mailer being sent to the rest of his clients. A VERY magnanimous gesture!

Time for bed, my plane leaves in 11 hours and I need some sleep!

[Reidar Andersen]

Roy

I did not see Mr. Broadbent but I bought the Broadbent 10 year old M at K&L Wine ( $ 34.95 plus tax ) and will directly compare it with my Justino's 10 year old M botttled June 26th 2006 as soon a spossible.

Reidar

[Roy Hersh]

Excellent, I look forward to your report and hope you'll compare them upon opening and then again a day later and then even a week later to see how they evolve and compare/contrast. Thanks Reidar.

I assume you will be trying to obtain the '27 Bastardo while in Madeira?

[Reidar Andersen]

Well, will first test it

[Marco D.]

Thanks for the heads up, Roy. I picked up the 1927 B and I'm on the fence regarding the 1969 S.

My wife is not too pleased with me right now... :?

[Reidar Andersen]

Marco.......

Strange with wives, they prefer $ 300 Gucci plastic sunglasses which are out of fashion within 6 months instead of a 50 year+ old wine at the same price !! :twisted:

[Paul David]

OK guys, so all here agree that this Bastardo is a great deal but has anyone actually tasted this delicacy I spoke to the folks at RWC and I was told that this is actually quite dry. Drier in fact than most Verdeho so if anyone has any TN's it would be greatly appriciaed (Roy it sounds like you may have had this?) Cheers

[Paul Day]

I tried this wine in June 2006, two weeks after it was bottled. This is indeed quite a dry wine, as indeed was the earlier bottled version under the Adegas do Torreao. Not intensely so, but the dryness is accentuated by the high acidity and characteristic bitterness. It is a good wine, but perhaps not a great wine, and I feel that many might actually prefer other offerings from d'Oliveira (such as the 1922 Bual - with 1900 Moscatel and 1875 Malvasia being better still).

The earlier bottling from AdT seems even more austere, but has a nice lifted nose and long, dry, nutty finish. This is rated and described by Liddell as ***(*) which is spot on in my book. I would rate the d'Oliveira similarly, maybe a little higher. The Leacock's 1927 is much sweeter, darker and richer, but not that exciting in my view. (The residual sugar on this wine has been measured twice historically, once at 90.8 g/l and 98.0 g/l.)

No one alive has tasted the two casks of Henriques and Henriques 1927: they are officially sealed, and when I asked him this year, John Cossart said he had no intention of bottling them or even opening them in the near future.

Of other Bastardos tasted recently (with some "scores" not to be taken too seriously):

Barros e Sousa Reserva Velha (4/5)
(a blend of vintages 1963 - 1988, bottled at various times)
I like this wine a lot. It is harmonious and stylish, quite dry and one of the best offerings from Barros. Of three bottlings tried this year (1996, 2001, 2002) I perhaps prefer the younger ones, but all are good.

1969 Cossart Gordon - soft, sweet, easy, with bitter finish (2.5/5)

1954 Blandy's - distinctly herbal notes, very bitter finish (2/5)

1870 Blandy's - rather tired these days, dry, but with a lovely, long nutty finish that redeems it: this perhaps was a great wine once (2+?/5)

1875 Cossart Gordon - simply and consistently a great wine; a beautiful colour with a definite red tint; great, great nose; balanced but powerful and quite dry, with good acidity (5/5)

c19 Bernes - again a herbal quality on the nose, sl volatile; bright acidity and creamy if slightly short finish (3.5/5)

Paul

[Paul David]

Paul Day Thanks for your notes, once again I am in owe with the dept of your knowledge. My personal experience with aged Madeira only goes back about a half dozen years or so -and with the escalating costs of these nectars my collection is rather modest. I am fortunate to have a few friends who are willing to share their bottles and it's always a special case when one of these oldies gets uncorcked. Getting valuable input from the BB members is a great resource (Thank's again Roy!) While I find all of these fascinating, given a choice I tend to prefer the sweeter offerings. I am looking forward to tasting the 27 when it gets here from the RWC it will be my first Bastardo but based on your descriptions I may save some dry powder for other bottling to come down the pipe. Cheers PMD